Wednesday, August 31, 2016

FINISHED & SUBMITTED: Stealing A Warrior's Heart

STEALING HIS WARRIOR'S HEART

Warrior of Akasha
coming September 29th!
Níximon Aeglos is a thief, and he makes no apologies for it. He's done what he's had to do to survive. When he spots a handsome warrior walking through the marketplace, he sees an easy mark, and a purse full of coin.
Stealing from the Captain of the Royal Guard of the House of Elvellon was never in his plans. But revenge is. When Mael takes without asking, Níx decides to teach the man a lesson. When it backfires on him, Níx can't decide whether to protest or ask for more.
Maelon Hatholor is proud to be an elite soldier in the king's royal guard. He's even more proud of his restraint when a sexy little thief tries to rob him. When Níx comes back for more, Mael is all too willing to give him what he wants...over and over again.
When soldiers come for Mael, it's up to Níx to use the less than lawful contacts he's made over the years to help Mael discover why the king is after his head before they lose whatever is growing between them.
STORY EXCERPT
And we have a winner.
Níximon Aeglos smiled slyly as he pushed away from the stone wall he had been leaning against as he scanned the crowd, effortlessly sliding into the bustling throng of people moving about the marketplace. He hurried to catch up with his mark, knowing the well-dressed man ahead of him would have what Níx wanted.
Determining who was an easy mark and who was not was an art form, one that Níx had mastered many years ago. He had perfected his technique over time, becoming quicker, stealthier, better. He could pick someone's pocket in under three seconds, take a pocket watch in two, and then disappear into a puff of smoke in one.
Blending in to his surroundings was the first thing he had learned. He was non-descript. Even if someone saw him lift a watch or a coin purse, no one would be able to describe him. Níx worked very hard at appearing uninteresting.
The simple clothing he wore was a big help. Many people wore bright vivid colors to stand out in a crowd. Níx wore earth tones, browns and tans and creams. People tended to look past him to the more brightly colored outfits, which was exactly what Níx wanted.
Níx weaved his way through the crowd, keeping his eyes on his target as much as he could while scanning his surroundings. As good as he knew he was, there was always someone better. And there were always soldiers patrolling the marketplace looking for troublemakers and anyone else that broke the laws set down by their king.
Being a thief might not be a legal or moral occupation, but it put food in Níx's belly and kept a roof over his head, at least on most days. His upbringing didn't come with treasure chest full of gold coins, unlike the man he was tracking.
It was obvious from the fine silk of his white tunic and the perfect stitching of his black leather pants and vest that the man came from a rich background. He wouldn't even miss the coin that Níx planned to lift from him.
After making sure there were no eyes watching him, Níx moved in closer to his mark. As he caught up with the man, he couldn't help but appreciate the way the black leather hugged the man's ass and thighs like a second skin.
Whoever sewn those leathers deserved an award.
From the backside, the guy was gorgeous enough, and Níx bet he was just as stunning from the front. It was really too bad that Níx needed the coin this man could garner him. If he didn't need the money, he'd consider giving up thoughts of stealing from him and just invite him to the alley for a little fun.
Alas, as gorgeous as the man looked, the sword at his side dissuaded Níx. In his experience, not only did soldiers not take kindly to being propositioned for a little fun in the alley, they tended to believe they were better than the average man on the street.
Níx wanted nothing to do with them, no matter how hot one of them might be. Slightly saddened that things had to be that way, Níx slid up closer behind his prey. He carefully checked his peripheral vision, making sure no one was watching too closely and no patrols were in sight.
Once he was sure that the coast was clear, Níx moved in. He waited for just the right moment, watching as the man started to weave his body, turning one way then the other as he moved through a thickening crowd of people.
Just as someone started to bump into the man, Níx slid his small bladed dagger through the leather straps holding the man's coin purse. He was turning away before he even finished cutting them.
Once the small black leather bag was free, Níx slid it into the hidden pocket on his vest. He casually walked away, plastering a look on his face that he had perfected through the years, the one that said he was innocent of anything and everything.
And that would have worked great…if he wasn't suddenly grabbed from behind and dragged into the closest alleyway. Níx grunted with pain as he was slammed into the hard stone wall, his cheek scraping along the uneven plaster holding the gray stones together.
Hot, heavy breath beat down on the nape of Níx's neck, sending his heart beat soaring. Níx could feel the buttery softness of leather brushing against him as his hands were pinned against the stone wall.
He had a pretty good idea who had him. He just couldn't figure out how he had gotten caught. The whole process had been flawless. He knew that. He had done it a hundred times in the past. There was absolutely no reason that he should have been caught.
And yet, he was.
Now, Níx just had to figure out how to get free.
Níx quickly went through his options. He could play innocent and cry about being bullied. He could play innocent and get angry that he was being accosted. He could give the guy a boon and admit what he had done, again crying or getting angry.
Or he could just stand there with the gorgeous man pressing him into the wall.
"Stealing is wrong."
Níx groaned as his body reacted to the deep voice rumbling behind him, warming, heating, arousal making his skin tight. Maybe he should consider asking if the guy wanted to have a little fun in the alleyway.
Níx's lips twisted in a wry smile. "I don't know what you're talking about." Níx could barely believe his words and he was speaking them. Sometimes he even amazed himself. "You must have the wrong guy."
"No, I have the right guy." Níx's eyebrows shot up when he heard a hard sniffing noise near his ear. Was the guy actually sniffing him? "It was you in the marketplace. I could hear you walking behind me. I could smell you."
Níx's denial plan was starting to come apart right before his eyes. He really seriously needed to come up with a different game plan. It looked like it would either be crying or getting angry.
"Of course I was in the marketplace, you idiot. That's where you grabbed me."
Okay, anger it was.

Monday, August 29, 2016

FINISHED & SUBMITTED: Hot Mess


HOT MESS

coming September 22nd

Hot summer rain. That was the scent that drew me. The soulful amber-green eyes that begged to be loved kept me. One look and I knew I wanted Lany Harris to be mine. Convincing him of my good intentions might prove to be harder than trying to convince my superiors that someone was out to get us.
I was obviously insane.
Cinnamon and whiskey had a delicious scent and it was S.W.A.T. commander, Lt. Salvador Delvecchio. I wanted to roll in that scent, sink into it, and never come out. I wanted to be consumed by everything that was the lethal man who had rescued me and decided I belonged to him.
I was a hot mess.



STORY EXCERPT
There are times in life when clarity suddenly hits a person and one realizes that life is one fucked up mess after another. As I sat on the floor of some dive bar I had forgotten the name of, cradling my aching cheek in my hand, I realized this was just another dramatic moment in a long line of dramatic moments which seemed to plague me whether I wanted them to or not.
I was cursed. There was no other way around it. Either fate really hated my ass or I had done something horrific in every past life I had ever lived—if I believed in past lives, and I didn't—but still, how in the hell did this keep happening to me?
I didn't go looking for trouble. I never did. It just kind of happened to me. A simple trip to the grocery store turned into a hostage situation and then a shootout with thugs. Buying a new pair of shoes ended in using said shoes to run for my life when I witnessed an assault, and tried to stop it. But, hey, what was I supposed to do? Let the poor girl get kidnapped?
My last episode came from stopping in at a bar I was passing when I took a different route home from work. The front door had been propped open and the music from inside had poured out onto the streets, drawing patrons inside. The voices and laughter had drawn me more than the need for alcohol, and all I had wanted to do was soak in the atmosphere for a little while, a few minutes at the very least.
But no...my desire to sit on the fringes of other people's happy lives led to some guy taking offense when I stared at the beautiful blond on his arm too long. If only he knew. Her breasts were big and perky—which was what had me staring in the first place because they defied gravity and I couldn't understand how.
Sexually, they did nothing for me.
If the guy hadn't been such a jerk, he might have gained my interest. When he had his two friends corner me in the bathroom before smacking me around, whatever interest I might have had in the well-dressed man shot away faster than the fist to my face. All thoughts of flirting with the guy evaporated with the first punch.
Okay, I wouldn't have flirted, but it was nice to think I might have. The guy had clearly been with the blond, and I didn't poach. I didn't do straight guys either. Which made flirting a useless action. My father hated useless actions. So, flirting with straight guys was out.
Well, I tried not to anyway. There was that one time and I honestly thought he was gay. It wasn't until I was running down the street pulling my shirt back on with Brian and his best friend chasing after me that I realized he was most decidedly not gay. In fact, he seemed a tad homophobic.
I didn't stick around to find out if I was wrong.
This time, I had not tried to get friendly with the pretty straight man. I hadn't tried to get friendly with anyone. I hadn't even talked to anyone except the bartender when I ordered my beer. I was just swinging around on my stool, people watching.
I like people watching. There were so many interesting people in the world and I liked watching them. And no, I wasn't a creepy stalker dude. I didn't follow people. Usually. I just sat and watched...fantasizing.
Everyone from my mother to my therapist said I needed to go get a life instead of fantasizing I had one. I didn't get it. I had a life. It just wasn't a very exciting life. For the most part, anyway. Times like this made me wonder.
I winced when one of the men reached for me, jerking me to my feet. It wasn't so much the pain that bothered me—although that kind of sucked—but more the knowledge that my pain was just beginning. I could see it in the gleeful twinkle in the guy's eyes. He was enjoying himself.
When he pulled back his fist, I raised my arms up in front of my face trying to protect it. I knew he would probably use that opportunity to punch me in the stomach, but I still had my glasses on and those things weren't cheap, especially not as often as I went through them.
My ophthalmologist knew me by first name.
I hated the fact that I could see through the small slit between my forearms. I wanted to close my eyes and pretend I didn't see the fist coming at me.
They wouldn't close.
Terror stole my scream, as did the beefy hand wrapped around my throat. I was well versed in the excitement some people seemed to have when they were about to beat the shit out of someone else. I had seen it often enough. I could see it in the man's eyes.
I was gonna die.
"Is there a problem in here?"
My world stopped.
I rolled my head toward the door, following the deep timber of the voice that had spoken to a mountain of hard, bulging muscles. My eyes widened at the absolute power before me. The hard body stretching the seams of the guy's black tank top quickened my pulse. Despite the fear coursing through my body, I felt my cock harden in response to the sheer masculine beauty before me.
And he knew it.
One lone eyebrow rose, a peculiar smirk lifting the corner of the rugged man's face.
There were a great many things I was good at. Picking out the perfect china pattern to match a newly designed gourmet kitchen. Organizing a squad room full of testosterone driven police officers. Even duking it out over the phone with some schmuck who thought he'd get lippy with me because I was only an office assistant.
Hiding my response from this man was not one of those things.
The air hummed with tension, a hint of violence thrown in for good measure. I held my breath, waiting to see what would happen. Terrified that the man who filled my every fantasy in one glance would join in on the beating that was sure to end my life, or hurt really bad at the very least.
"Come to me, caro."
Oh. My. God.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

The BATTLE BUNNIES Series

 

The Battle Bunnies series...all five books now available
 
 
 

Monday, August 22, 2016

RELEASE DAY: Basil


BASIL
Battle Bunnies 5
AVAILABLE NOW!
 
[Erotic Alternative Paranormal Romance, M/M, shape-shifters, HEA]
 
They know a thousand ways to kill...and zero ways to love.
Basil is the last unmated Battle Bunny, but there's a reason. The tiger stalking him is his mate, and Basil has known it for years. He also knows that Theo sold them to the pet store where their nightmare began. As strong as the mate draw is, Basil doesn't know if he can trust the handsome tiger.
Theodore Staffer's life has been a nightmare since the day Basil was born. He knew from the very beginning that Basil was his mate. After his father ordered the bunnies put to death, Theo took them away, unknowingly selling them to someone who would betray them all. Since then, Theo's life has been one nightmare after another as he tries to stay strong and find a way to be with his mate once more.
 
When the two men come together, they set off a series of events that leads to an epic fight that even the Battle Bunnies may not survive. Secrets will be revealed that rock the very foundation of their world. Betrayal comes from all directions, and only by staying true to themselves and the bonds they have with their mates can they hope to survive.
 
 

Friday, August 12, 2016

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER: Basil



BASIL
Battle Bunnies 5
PRE-ORDER!
AVAILABLE: Tuesday, August 23rd
 
[Erotic Alternative Paranormal Romance, M/M, shape-shifters, HEA]
 
They know a thousand ways to kill...and zero ways to love.
 
Basil is the last unmated Battle Bunny, but there's a reason. The tiger stalking him is his mate, and Basil has known it for years. He also knows that Theo sold them to the pet store where their nightmare began. As strong as the mate draw is, Basil doesn't know if he can trust the handsome tiger.
 
Theodore Staffer's life has been a nightmare since the day Basil was born. He knew from the very beginning that Basil was his mate. After his father ordered the bunnies put to death, Theo took them away, unknowingly selling them to someone who would betray them all. Since then, Theo's life has been one nightmare after another as he tries to stay strong and find a way to be with his mate once more.
 
When the two men come together, they set off a series of events that leads to an epic fight that even the Battle Bunnies may not survive. Secrets will be revealed that rock the very foundation of their world. Betrayal comes from all directions, and only by staying true to themselves and the bonds they have with their mates can they hope to survive.
 
 

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

RELEASE DAY: Heart of a Mountain

HEART OF A MOUNTAIN

Cade Creek 12

available now!

[Erotic Alternative Romance, M/M, HEA]

John Aldrin Flores came to Cade Creek hoping to build a new life outside of the city. After landing a job at the Cade Creek Diner, Aldrin has a chance to meet many of the townspeople, but the one that interests him the most is the one that doesn't say anything. Determined to bring the gorgeous man out of his shell, Aldrin sets about showing Jonah Cade that there is life off his mountain top.

Jonah Cade's family founded Cade Creek. There is a legacy there he's not sure he can fulfill. After losing every member of his family in a horrific accident the same week he suffers the horrors of war at its worst, Jonah cracks. Moving to the top of his mountain and becoming a recluse is an act of pure self-preservation.

At the behest of his therapist, he goes into town once a week for church, supplies, and to have the Sunday special at the Cade Creek Diner. When his dinner comes with a kind word and a smile, Jonah starts to look outside his self-imposed exile, but will the danger stalking them tear them apart before Aldrin's smile wins Jonah over? And can Jonah learn to trust in people again before he loses Aldrin forever?

http://www.bookstrand.com/book/heart-of-a-mountain

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

TIME MACHINE DISCOUNT

 
WHITE PAWS & A DREAM

Midnight Matings

On sale for $.99 as a Time Machine Discount at BookStrand!

[Erotic Alternative Paranormal Romance, M/M, shape-shifters]

The Gathering is called. The spell is cast. There is no escaping the Midnight Matings.
When Ifan Vashnikov is summoned to the Great Gathering and learns of the plan set up by UPAC, he decides he'd rather go feral than be forced to take a mate. Before he can voice his decision to the elders, he finds himself mated.
 
But his mating is not the usual mating. For one, he didn't drink the spiked champagne like everyone else, so he isn't in heat. Two, his mate is being protected for his own safety. Misha is a dreamwalker, the most powerful dreamwalker in over a thousand years. Because of that, he is being hunted. People want to use his powers for evil.

Misha just wants to settle down somewhere quiet with his dream mate. When he's rescued and taken to the UPAC headquarters, he finally meets the man he has been sharing dreams with for over a year—the man he fell in love with—but Ifan doesn't seem to know him. When danger comes, Misha doesn't know whether to turn to Ifan or run for his life.

http://www.bookstrand.com/white-paws-and-a-dream

Monday, August 1, 2016

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER: Heart of a Mountain

HEART OF A MOUNTAIN

Cade Creek 12

PRE-ORDERTODAY!

AVAILABLE: Thursday, August 11th

[Erotic Alternative Romance, M/M, HEA]

John Aldrin Flores came to Cade Creek hoping to build a new life outside of the city. After landing a job at the Cade Creek Diner, Aldrin has a chance to meet many of the townspeople, but the one that interests him the most is the one that doesn't say anything. Determined to bring the gorgeous man out of his shell, Aldrin sets about showing Jonah Cade that there is life off his mountain top.

Jonah Cade's family founded Cade Creek. There is a legacy there he's not sure he can fulfill. After losing every member of his family in a horrific accident the same week he suffers the horrors of war at its worst, Jonah cracks. Moving to the top of his mountain and becoming a recluse is an act of pure self-preservation.

At the behest of his therapist, he goes into town once a week for church, supplies, and to have the Sunday special at the Cade Creek Diner. When his dinner comes with a kind word and a smile, Jonah starts to look outside his self-imposed exile, but will the danger stalking them tear them apart before Aldrin's smile wins Jonah over? And can Jonah learn to trust in people again before he loses Aldrin forever?

http://www.bookstrand.com/book/heart-of-a-mountain